According to research, weight loss stings may be good for people’s mental health and help suppress appetite.

A study by scientists at the University of Bern in Switzerland found that injections of appetite suppression can also improve mood, health and quality of life compared to insulin and other antidiabetic drugs.

Originally developed for people with diabetes, these drugs have changed the treatment of obesity and are growing evidence that health benefits are broader.

The Institute of Finance calculated that about 13-15% of wage earners in England and Wales suffer from long-term mental health or behavioral conditions, and in December 2024, 2 million people were linked to the NHS Mental Health Service.

The study, presented at the European Obesity Conference in Malaga, Spain, also found that weight loss jabs are safe and effective for severe mental illness in adults taking antipsychotics or antidepressants.

These drugs belong to a population of a receptor agonist called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that digests slowly and reduces appetite. The authors found that medications, including Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic or Wegovy) were less likely to be associated with poor mental health and no greater risk for new mental illness or psychiatric patients.

Five studies found that they actually improved the mental health and quality of life in people with schizophrenia disease, major depression and bipolar disorder. For adults without mental illness, weight loss has a greater beneficial effect on mental health than insulin and other antidiabetic medications.

"GLP-1 RAS (receptor agonist) may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects, possibly due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which can also help reduce neuroinflammatory," said Dr Sigrid Breit, lead author of the University of Bern.

"These results are especially important for patients with severe mental illness, who may have three times higher obesity than the general population."

Mental health experts welcome these findings. Dr Ed Beveridge, President of Physical Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "We know that many people with mental illness will have weight management problems for a number of reasons. Therefore, when clinically evaluated as appropriate, it is crucial that they are considered a priority group in order to access Semaglutide drugs, have proper monitoring arrangements and follow the prescription at prescription."

Rachel Hastings-Caplan, a clinical research policy manager who rethinks mental illness, said: “The physical health of people affected by mental illness is often overlooked, and they die more sadly than other populations on average for 20 years, often due to preventable diseases such as diabetes.

“They face the difficult choice of taking medications like antipsychotics, which, while potentially reducing the symptoms of mental illness and helping them manage in their daily lives, can worsen their health through its side effects.

“While this study of weight loss jabs is important and promising, we think these drugs are just a short-term solution. We need to see more investments in finding treatments, whether it is new drugs or other forms of clinical support that will improve mental illness without causing side effects.

“Weight loss can only be used for prescriptions and with medical advice, and people with dietary disorders must be given special consideration.”